Many data sets can be represented in the form of a graph, namely, as a collection of entities connected together by relationships. A user may wish to provide a visual rendering of the graph to gain a better understanding of patterns, trends and other features in the data. Traditionally, the user has performed this task by representing the graph as a collection of node objects (associated with the entities) that are connected together by lines (associated with the relationships). This approach, however, can produce complex and confusing visual renderings for larger data sets.
Various techniques have been proposed to manage the complexity of such visual representations of graphs. According to one recent technique, a bundling mechanism can be used to group together lines within a graph that run close together. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the resultant graph and makes the graph easier to understand. Yet there is room for improvement in known bundling techniques.